


Best Kept Secret

by roe87



Series: Secretary, Assume The Position [1]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bearded Steve Rogers, Boss/Employee Relationship, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Feels, Crushes, F/M, Fem Bucky Barnes, Female Bucky Barnes, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hotel Sex, Humor, Lawyer Steve Rogers, Lawyers, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Office, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Post-Divorce, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Secret Crush, Secretary Bucky Barnes, Shy Bucky Barnes, Top Steve Rogers, Unrequited, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Lust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:15:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23253055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roe87/pseuds/roe87
Summary: Bucky is a legal secretary for attorney Steve Rogers. She loves her job and she (secretly) loves her boss, despite that fact that he's married.Then Bucky finds out that Steve is getting a divorce, and she fantasises about making a move on him now that he's single.Can Bucky work up the courage to hit on her boss?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Secretary, Assume The Position [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671910
Comments: 39
Kudos: 276
Collections: Steve/Bucky fics with Fem Bucky





	Best Kept Secret

**Author's Note:**

> All I wanted to do was write some PWP office smut as a birthday present to myself, but it snowballed into a story...  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Note: Peggy is mentioned a few times but does not appear on-page.
> 
> If you have other queries before reading you may drop me a comment and I'll try to answer you!  
> 
> 
> Also, if you want to headcanon Bucky as a cis woman, trans woman, intersex or non binary fem for this fic, please go ahead!
> 
> ~~~

Bucky thought she knew almost everything there was to know about her boss, Steve Rogers, until one ordinary Tuesday afternoon she was surprised with some new information.

Mr. Rogers' wife called, and that in itself wasn't unusual: often he had his cell phone on silent and didn't answer his direct line either, so anyone impatient to speak to him would call Bucky's line.

Bucky, being his secretary, would field calls or try to put people through. She knew her boss well enough by now to know when to disturb him and when to not. So she didn't think anything of it to put Mrs. Rogers on hold while she called through to Steve's office. (He'd insisted that Bucky called him Steve.)

"Sorry to interrupt," Bucky said when he picked up the call, "but your wife is on line two."

"Actually," Steve replied calmly, "we've separated."

Bucky's eyes flew wide open with shock, and she was relieved there was no one to see her right now. "Oh," she breathed. "I'm sorry, I––"

"It's alright," Steve said. "Put her through."

"Yessir," Bucky said hastily. "Transferring now." She put the call through, watching the blinking light on her desk phone go dark. Bucky took a deep breath to steady herself and glanced at the wall where Steve's office was.

Oh, God, she thought, hoping she hadn't made an idiot of herself.

Bucky _liked_ her boss. A lot of other people thought he was brusque or rude, but Bucky didn't see him that way. Steve Rogers was a high profile attorney running his own office. He'd been an assistant district attorney at the start of his career (Bucky had Googled him before applying for her position) before changing over to be a defence attorney, and receiving some criticism for the type of rich clients he chose to defend.

Bucky understood why: Steve Rogers took cases from rich clients in order to fund his pro bono work for people who couldn't afford a lawyer. That was the side of his business most people didn't get to see, because the people Steve chose to represent for free rarely made the news, especially if he got the charges dropped.

Steve Rogers had a fearsome reputation in the court room and was known for giving excellent closing arguments. Bucky had been his secretary for nearly three years now, and she loved working with him.

It didn't hurt that Steve Rogers was smoking hot either: he was tall and broad shouldered, his trim figure poured into tailored suits, with neatly styled dark blond hair and a very soft looking dark brown beard that Bucky secretly adored.

Even his voice was dreamy.

It was just hard not to crush on her boss, Bucky had reasoned when she first joined and simply gave into it. The fact that he was married had certainly helped him seem unattainable, at least to Bucky. She'd seen women (and men) try to flirt with Steve over the years. He'd never flirted back, not beyond being friendly. Steve was a friendly guy, when he was in a good mood.

Bucky had thought she'd known him so well, but now he was... what, getting divorced? She couldn't believe it. Bucky sat at her desk staring into space, half worried and half day dreaming about having the opportunity to actually hit on her boss now.

She shook her head. Don't be dumb, she told herself. The poor guy was separating, he wouldn't want Bucky throwing herself at him.

Still, she could daydream about it. (Like she'd never _not_ thought about it before.) Bucky fantasised about marching into his office when he was alone, kicking the door shut with her heel, then draping herself on his desk.

Or, something like that.

Knowing Steve he would probably flap about his files getting messed up if Bucky did that. He was very particular about things. So maybe she could make sure his desk was clear first, then sit on it and cross her legs. Or maybe she could do a Sharon Stone and uncross her legs.

Bucky really needed to concentrate on work. All those legal documents wouldn't write themselves.

Bucky didn't hear a peep about the wife situation again until almost a week later.

On the Monday morning Bucky was busy prepping case files when Steve strode out of his office carrying his briefcase, with his coat over his arm.

Bucky blanched, worried she'd forgotten an appointment. Before she had a chance to ask, Steve stopped at her desk. "Bucky, would you reschedule my ten o' clock to the next available time? I have a last minute meeting."

"Yessir," Bucky replied, scrambling to get her SmartPad. "I didn't have you down for court today?"

"No." Steve shifted on the spot. He seemed uncomfortable. "I'm meeting my soon to be ex-wife and her lawyer. I know it's short notice but I want to get it done."

"Oh," Bucky said, surprised once again. "Y-Yes, of course. Do you need me to come with you?"

This earned her a small smile. "I'm a big boy," Steve replied. "But thanks."

He strode out of the office, and Bucky couldn't help but watch him go. Steve tended to march and stride places a lot, he was like that. He had a lot of restless energy being cooped up in offices all day, that was probably why he hit the gyms so hard.

Bucky kind of liked being in her office; she had a great spot now. Nice and quiet, just her and Steve on their floor, small as it was.

She found the ten o' clock meeting in the books and rescheduled it for Wednesday. Then Bucky checked the rest of Monday's schedule, wondering if Steve would even be in the mood for depositions and deadlines. He had a big court date later in the week, going up against a prosecutor named Helmut Zemo that he happened to dislike. They'd butted heads in the courtroom before.

Bucky would make sure to work exrta hard this week so Steve had less to do.

She'd done all her filing and was busy typing up the next set of legal documents when Steve came back to the office.

It was nearly two o' clock. Bucky had figured he'd taken his lunch outside, as Steve liked being out and about when he could.

Bucky looked up as he walked by. "How did it go?" she asked, noting his frown.

"Not sure yet," he replied, pausing at her desk.

Bucky always liked it when he stopped at her desk. "Please let me know if you need anything," she said, meaning it. Bucky already organised his dry cleaning and plenty of personal errands. Sometimes she joked to herself about being his second wife.

"Thanks," Steve said, somewhat absently. "Any calls?"

"Yes, but I handled them," Bucky told him. "I sent you an email with updates, but there's nothing urgent for today. Just prep for Zemo."

Steve's frown intensified at that. "Yes, I need to focus on the case. Alright, Bucky, thanks. Hold all my calls this afternoon."

"Yessir," Bucky said as he walked away.

Bucky liked it when she was the only one allowed to talk to Steve, like she was protecting him from the outside world. (Bucky was aware she was a dork and should probably go back on Tinder to find herself a proper date, but no one ever seemed to match up to her hunk of a boss, so she'd get her thrills where she could.)

Bucky may have enjoyed having the top floor of their little building for just her and Steve most days, but sometimes she had to go downstairs and interact with the other attorneys.

Steve's firm had been growing steadily over the past decade (Bucky had Googled him a lot, impressed at how much the man had accomplished when he was barely forty) and they'd moved into this building two years ago.

It was nice, a good central location that was easier to get to and from the court house. There were a lot of stairs and no elevator, but Bucky didn't mind the walk.

She clicked down the stairs in her high heels, stopping off on the third floor to collect various documents that the attorneys were terrible at filing themselves.

Two days a week they had an assistant secretary to do the easier jobs, but until they could afford someone full time, Bucky had to chase paper documents around the building from time to time.

It had been over a week since Steve's first meeting with a divorce lawyer, and office gossip around the water cooler had begun. Bucky wasn't sure how they knew, because she hadn't said anything. As soon as she got onto the floor she found Clint Barton and Scott Lang chatting away instead of doing any work.

"Bucky!" Clint exclaimed as she approached them. "She'll know."

"Have you guys got your notices and invoices," Bucky said, standing over their desks to check.

Clint and Scott were terrible at filing but they were excellent attorneys, so they usually got a pass for being late.

"I do," Scott said, surprising Bucky as he handed over a file of papers.

"I got mine... somewhere," Clint said, rooting around his desk.

Bucky stood there with her hand out, waiting. "Hurry up, Clint."

"So?" Clint said, still searching for papers and gathering them up.

"So?" Bucky repeated.

"Rogers is getting divorced?" Clint asked.

Bucky shrugged one shoulder, not answering. "Today, Clint," she pressed, as he made a pile of crumpled invoices.

"You must know," Clint replied. "Secretaries know everything."

"Precisely why I don't want one," Scott laughed.

"Ha, ha," Bucky said.

Clint handed over his invoices, and Bucky checked them quickly.

"Stark said Rogers had to move out," Clint went on.

Oh, that explained it, Bucky thought. Stark Snr. worked with Steve's wife (ex-wife?) Peggy, and Stark Jnr. was friendly with Steve and most of his attorneys because they'd gotten him out of jail enough times and kept it quiet from Stark Snr.

The Starks were worse gossips than Clint though.

"Why don't you ask him yourself," Bucky said, smiling sweetly.

"Because I value my life?" Clint chuckled.

Bucky didn't give anything away, and left with the documents, even though Clint called after her to spill the beans.

Bucky went down to the next floor and got pretty much the same treatment from Bruce Banner and Hope Van Dyne, only slightly more subtle. Again Bucky kept things to herself, and was relieved to get back upstairs to the peace and quiet of her floor.

She couldn't stop thinking if it was true, had Steve had to move out?

Bucky got her answer a couple days later, when she noticed personal mail from Steve's home address being redirected to their office.

Oh, she thought, feeling sad for him.

Where was he staying? Bucky wanted to bust into his office and ask him, but that seemed inappropriate. Steve was very capable, another reason Bucky loved working with him.

Still... having to leave home was a big deal, no matter how capable someone was. Bucky hadn't noticed a change in her boss's routine, except he had been in the office earlier than her the last few mornings.

She hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but maybe he was staying somewhere closer to the office. Bucky knew he had a house upstate that was usually rented out as a holiday home, and that his home address was in Brooklyn.

She wished she could ask where Steve was staying but she didn't want to seem nosy. Instead, Bucky researched a few local realtors and slipped their details into Steve's files one morning.

Bucky did that sometimes, just took the initiative and sourced information for him. She figured he wouldn't want to talk about it, but at least she felt like she'd helped in some small way.

A week later, Steve had another meeting with the divorce lawyer.

He was still representing himself, as far as Bucky could tell. That was sure to feel stressful, she thought. One man against his ex plus her attorney.

Bucky had met Steve's wife (ex-wife...) a few times, but only briefly at work functions that were always full of awkward chat and too much alcohol. Bucky's impression of her hadn't changed much: Margaret 'Peggy' Carter-Rogers was clearly a very smart and driven woman. She was British with a cut glass English accent, and Bucky wondered if it was the accent and British mannerisms that made her come across as bossy or sharp, or if she just gave out that impression to people she didn't know well.

Bucky was aware there were plenty of people who wrote Steve off in the same way and didn't see how kind he was day to day. So Bucky tried not to judge but... well, she had never really warmed to Peggy much. Peggy hadn't paid Bucky much attention when they'd met beyond some polite yet distant chit chat. Peggy was always busy and always in a rush to leave when Bucky saw her. Sometimes she barely even made eye contact with Bucky, more focused on telling Steve something.

Bucky was used to fading into the background as Steve's secretary for work, and she'd never minded that: she was like, a behind the curtains person while Steve was the front man. It never bothered her because Steve always treated her like she mattered.

But Bucky had maybe felt somewhat prickled by Peggy at times. Maybe Bucky was a bit jealous; Peggy always looked so tailored and chic herself, with her vintage style dresses and her victory rolls, and bright red lipstick.

Bucky hated wearing lipstick, she chewed her lip from nerves way too much and ate it off. So she only wore a sheer gloss.

Bucky had tried not to let women like Peggy bother her anyway, it was probably more to do with the fact that some CEO's like Peggy were just kind of bossy, and Bucky being a mere secretary tended to notice things like that. She'd had some means bosses in her working life, and she was very thankful to work for Steve.

Bucky wondered what the company Christmas party would be like this year. She felt a bit relieved at the prospect of no Peggy. Maybe they could just all go to their favorite bar instead, unless Steve wanted to do his fundraiser party again.

Bucky wrote a note to herself in her personal diary to check up on company events and RSVPs. Steve tended to forget RSVPs; he wasn't a fan of schmoozing. In fact he often brought Bucky along to help him out. Steve had a habit of saying exactly what was on his mind or telling assholes to go to hell, which didn't always help his career. Bucky had gotten pretty good at stepping in when she recognised the signs.

Usually Steve was well behaved unless he'd had too much wine, but the last couple weeks he'd seemed a bit more irritable.

They were at a restaurant for lunch, occupying a table with their food and files. Bucky was busy working as she ate, Steve was sitting back with a glass of wine.

"Your meeting this afternoon," Bucky began, as Steve pulled a face.

"Don't remind me," he complained.

Bucky bit back a smile. Thad Ross, one of Steve's least favorite prosecutors. "Shall I sit in?" she offered.

"I can't stand that guy," Steve said, taking a sip of his wine.

"If it's any consolation, Steve, I'm sure he feels the same way about you," Bucky said.

Steve laughed at that, his eyes crinkling up with mirth. Bucky enjoyed it when she could make Steve laugh.

"I hope he does," Steve said. "Yes, you better sit in."

"Alright. So, next," she tried to say, Steve interrupted her. "You ever wonder what it's all about, Bucky? Why are we here?"

Bucky looked up, bewildered for a moment, but when she noticed the faraway expression on Steve's face, she figured he was just having a maudlin moment.

He got like that sometimes, but usually around the holidays. Bucky crossed out her note to ask about the Christmas party.

"I was going to ask you about vacation time," she said, sidestepping his question.

"Hm?" Steve shrugged. "Oh, sure. Take whatever you want."

"Not for me," Bucky said. "For you."

Steve shook his head, pouring himself more wine. "I can't take a vacation now."

"Maybe it would do you some good," Bucky countered, watching Steve drink two big gulps and nearly emptying his glass.

"I'd rather work," he said.

Bucky exhaled lightly. "Alright," she agreed. "But if you start getting philosophical on me, I'm booking you on vacation immediately."

Steve laughed again. "Okay, I promise."

"And cut back on the wine," she added.

"Yes, ma'am," he joked, smiling at her.

Bucky got a small thrill out of that. When they went to lunch like this, just the two of them, it felt like they were a couple and sometimes Bucky's imagination got the better of her.

She'd always thought she'd make a good Mrs. Rogers.

But Steve probably wasn't interested in her; she had to be pretty much the opposite of his wife (ex-wife?). Bucky was no boss, no leader, she was more content to assist and help. Plus she was a good ten years younger than Steve, in her twenties. Probably he liked women his own age, or older, who knew.

Bucky was just happy having him all to herself sometimes, like their lunch dates.

Work dates, she reminded herself. Not date dates.

She made herself focus on work, and they got through the rest of the week's schedule pretty fast. Steve had a big case later in the week that he needed to prep for, and there would be a ton of paperwork for Bucky to do, as usual.

It was a high profile case and would hopefully bring in a lot of money to the firm, so it was important. Bucky decided she might ban Steve from drinking wine over lunch for the rest of the week.

As she was packing up her files and Steve paid the bill, she decided to ask him something else. Once the waiter left, Bucky said quietly, "Do you need any recommendations on rental? Or have you found a place?"

Steve didn't answer right away, which was telling. He stood up from his chair and helped Bucky with hers as she got up. "I'm just renting for now," he said. "I gotta wait for the tenants in my place upstate to move out, then see if I can sell it."

He helped Bucky into her jacket before putting his own on. "That is," he added wryly, "if I still own it after the divorce."

Bucky felt sad again, wishing there was something she could do. "I'm sorry, Steve."

He shrugged. "Gotta roll with the punches, Buck."

"Yes." She smiled at him. "Good mantra."

A couple weeks later was Steve's final meeting with the divorce lawyer.

It was Thursday, and he'd already asked Bucky to clear his schedule for the day. She'd wished him luck on Wednesday night before going home, and hadn't expected to see him in the office Thursday at all.

Bucky got a surprise when Steve showed up in the early afternoon, carrying a brown paper bag that definitely had a bottle of something in it.

"Everything alright?" Bucky asked, as he walked past her desk. His tie was loose and his top button was undone.

"I am now divorced," he announced flatly. "Please hold all my calls."

"Yessir," Bucky said, as Steve disappeared inside his office.

Oh, dear, she thought.

Bucky didn't hear a cork popping, she it clearly wasn't champagne he was drinking. Steve liked bourbon, usually kept a bottle or two in his office but if he'd bought a new one especially... Bucky frowned in concern.

If Steve didn't emerge by five o'clock, she'd have to check on him.

Bucky tried to work, but it was difficult when she was so distracted by Steve.

Firstly, he was divorced now, a free agent. It was kind of exciting, as Bucky had never even for one moment imagined he would be available to her, or anyone. And now he was.

Maybe? Because he seemed pretty down, drinking alone in his office.

Then again, Bruce downstairs drank alone. Sometimes people just did that. Bucky was more of a tub of ice cream at home girl; she didn't drink that much. Both her parents had drank a lot and she didn't like it.

Bucky tapped her heel on the floor, anxious. She didn't want Steve to end up alone and depressed, drinking himself under his desk, so she decided to do something.

Bucky found a hiking weekend getaway in the Catskills at short notice, so she cleared Steve's schedule for Friday and booked the tickets. She put together and printed out an itinerary, then knocked on his office door.

There was a vague sound inside, so Bucky went in. Steve was, as expected, slouched in his chair, working his way through a bottle of bourbon.

"What?" he asked, looking a bit drunk.

Bucky steeled herself, and walked over to his desk. "Look, Steve," she said firmly, placing the print out under his nose, "I know this week sucked for you, so I've booked you on a hiking retreat for the weekend. You need to clear your head."

"Hiking...?" Steve leaned forward, staring at the paper. "I'm not in the mood."

"I think it'll help, Steve," Bucky insisted. "It's only two days. Anyway, it's already paid for. I'll have an Uber pick you up tomorrow, I just need your current address."

"Um..." Steve rubbed a hand down his face. He looked tired. "Alright, alright. But I don't have many clothes with me."

"Then I'll get you what you need tomorrow," Bucky said. "You won't need much. It'll be great getting out in the open air. Look." She reached down and tapped the print out where she'd copied in some scenic pictures of the forest. "You'll love it."

"I said I'll go." Steve smiled wryly. "Jeez, everyone's so keen to get rid of me."

"I want you back on Monday morning with a clear head," Bucky told him. "That's why I'm doing this. Now, write down your address and I'll call you a cab home. You need to sleep this off."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve joked, writing down his address.

Bucky wasn't used to telling Steve what to do like that, not with his personal life, but she was relieved her gamble paid off: the weekend trip away seemed to help.

Steve even sent her pictures of the beautiful hiking trails. She'd commented how jealous she was (except not really, Bucky wasn't into the great outdoors) and surprisingly Steve had replied, _next time come with me!_

Bucky had replied glibly that she would, as per their usual banter, but inside she was agonising over what Steve had meant. Did he mean as a work retreat, or did he mean...?

No way, she thought. He'd just gotten divorced, why would he start flirting with her right away. Bucky was just reading too much into it.

Still, on Monday morning Bucky took extra care with her appearance, and wore a nicer than usual blouse and a tighter than normal skirt to the office. She even applied a coat of pink lip gloss, and was sitting at her desk when Steve breezed in the door and gave her a bright smile.

"Morning, Miss Barnes," he greeted.

Bucky blinked in surprise. "Morning, Mr. Rogers," she replied. Sometimes they jokingly called each other Miss or Mr in the office. Formal titles were reserved for in front of clients only, so Bucky had to wonder... was Steve flirting with her?

"Good weekend?" he asked, stopping by her desk.

Bucky smiled up at him. "Yes, nonstop excitement. How was yours?"

"Energetic," Steve replied. "You picked a great retreat. I might go again next month."

"That's... good to hear," Bucky said, somewhat surprised. "I'm happy to help."

Steve smiled at her, holding her eyes for the longest moment. "Thank you, Bucky," he said, before striding off to his office. "Come in at ten and we'll go through those depositions."

Ah, yes, Bucky thought, back to work.

"Yessir," she said, smiling as Steve's door closed.

At least things were back to normal.

Steve was on point all week, on top of his game again.

Bucky accompanied him to court a couple times, as well as a few lunch meetings. She was pleased that Steve was back to drinking water at lunch.

Things were going well at the firm, with their caseloads busier than ever, and Steve's high profile case taking up most of his time. It would take a lot of prep before their court date next month, but Bucky had faith in Steve.

Things were going so well in fact, that Bucky felt totally surprised on Friday afternoon when Steve asked her what dating was like.

Bucky had just come back from her lunch and had brought coffee, setting Steve's cup down onto his desk when he'd asked the question.

"What?" she asked, glancing at him. "You mean... in general?"

"Yeah." He grinned at her as he sat back in his black leather swivel chair. Bucky had often called it his Bond villain chair. "What's it like these days? It's all phone apps?"

"Oh." Bucky felt a mix of emotions at once: excitement, disappointment, jealousy. Steve wanted to date? Now? Did that mean she'd have to see him bring different women to work functions, or he'd ask her to have flowers delivered for them?

Bucky had arranged flowers and gifts for Peggy plenty of times.

"Um, well," she hedged, "yes and no? I mean... there are dating apps, but you don't have to use them."

"Scott suggested I try speed dating," Steve said. "But I don't know, that sounds like a nightmare to me."

"Ditto," Bucky agreed. She shifted awkwardly, didn't want to be having this conversation and thinking of Steve with anyone else.

"What do you use?" Steve asked. "Clint said I should try Tinder."

"Um, yeah?" Bucky said, her mind helpfully providing images of all the hot women Steve would meet on Tinder. "I'm sure you'd be able to find matches on Tinder."

Steve's dark brows flicked up, inquisitive. "Why do you sound so pensive?" he asked with a chuckle.

Damn, Bucky forgot he was so good at reading people.

"No, I'm not," she tried, "but, you know, I'm a woman. My Tinder experience is different."

"Oh?" Steve sat forward with interest. "How so? Is there anything I shouldn't do? You know I suck at social etiquette."

Bucky bit her lip so she didn't burst out laughing. "You're not that bad, Steve. Honestly, I'm sure you'd be fine. It's just... guys don't talk a lot on apps, they just... you know. Want to hook up."

"Is that bad?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"No, of course not," Bucky said, feeling her face flush hot. "It's the communication or lack thereof that some women find annoying. Like, say hello and how are you first, don't just send the eggplant emoji right away."

"The what?" Steve said.

"The eggplant emoji."

Steve frowned in confusion, then got out his cell phone. "Hang on, let me find it. Eggplant?"

Steve was terrible with emojis, Bucky had forgotten. Oh, God, now she had to talk about eggplants with him and what they symbolised. How did she walk into these things.

"Maybe you should Google it?" she said, trying to back away.

"Wait, I found it," Steve said triumphant, staring at his phone. "Oh... oh, I see. So eggplant is like a penis?"

"Yes, Steve," Bucky said, having to turn away so he didn't see her red face. "Anyway, my coffee's getting cold..."

"Oh, sorry," he said absently. "Go have your coffee."

Bucky hurried out of his office and shut the door.

God help her. Now she had dicks on the brain, something she normally tried to tune out especially in Steve's vicinity but...

Shit.

What should she do?

In a panic, Bucky got her phone and sent a quick text to her bestie, Natasha. _Help me! My extremely hot and now single boss wants to go on Tinder._

Bucky waited for a reply, eventually getting a _LOL_ and laughing emojis.

 _Not helpful_ , Bucky replied.

 _Are you on Tinder?_ Nat asked.

 _I am_ , Bucky wrote. _But if he's joining Tinder I may have to delete the app before I do something I regret._

 _Why would you regret it?_ Nat wrote back. _Life's short, bone your boss._

Bucky had to cover her mouth to muffle her snort of laughter.

 _I can't just bone my boss!!!_ Bucky texted back. _I like my job and if things get awkward I'd have to leave._

 _So don't bone your boss,_ Nat replied.

Bucky sighed with disappointment. _But I want to_ , she wrote. _Like, real bad._

Natasha replied with eye rolling emojis. _Then bone him!_

Bucky made a helpless noise under her breath. She wasn't as confident as Natasha, though she wished she was. Bucky tended to overthink things and worry too much.

She put her phone away and decided to get on with her work.

If only things were that simple, she thought, when barely thirty minutes later Steve sent her an email asking her to book him a hotel for the weekend.

Bucky stared at the screen for a long moment before she pulled herself together.

 _Aren't you renting a place_ , she wrote back to him.

 _I am,_ Steve replied, _but just week days, I don't want to spend a weekend with the couple renting their place out. I was on that retreat last weekend and I completely forgot to book anywhere this weekend. I need it from tonight to Monday morning._

Bucky was beyond surprised, but she dutifully looked for places still available this weekend, emailing him back with a few suggestions.

Steve had money, yeah, but he shouldn't be wasting it on hotels every weekend.

Well, Bucky reminded herself, it was his life. She just hoped he wouldn't start having a mid life crisis and buy a sports car or something ridiculous.

Steve picked a hotel that was in midtown, so not too far from their office. Bucky booked it, emailing the details over to Steve and trying not to feel irritated or jealous when she thought of what Steve might get up to in there.

Most likely he'd sit in his room and try to figure out the Tinder app, or sit in the hotel bar on his own.

Bucky didn't have much planned herself either, just catching up on her emails remotely, doing laundry and buying groceries. Exciting stuff.

Four o'clock rolled by, and they usually closed early on Fridays if there wasn't a court case that day. Since they were free and Steve hadn't said otherwise, Bucky started closing down her computer and tidying her desk, locking secure files away.

The guys downstairs usually went out to a bar one block down for a Friday drink, but Bucky didn't like the bar all that much. Drunk lawyers weren't appealing on her night off.

Steve surprised her by poking his head out his office door with a big smile. "That hotel you booked has a bar that does food. Want to get dinner?"

Bucky found herself nodding yes, because she often said yes to Steve without a thought.

He beamed at her. "Great! Book us a ride over and we can go when you're ready," he said, then disappeared back inside his office.

Bucky blinked to herself, a little confused.

Getting dinner together wasn't that unusual, she reasoned. Probably Steve would grill her on how to use Tinder, she thought. Ask her to set up the app for him too. That would totally be Bucky's luck, overlooked as usual.

Still, no harm in freshening up.

She left her desk and headed to the bathroom downstairs. Bucky was organised, and she always had things in her large purse: antiperspirant, perfume, hair brush, lip gloss, and spare panties.

Actually, she always had two pairs of spare panties: a big pair, and a sexy pair. Bucky changed into the sexy pair in the toilet cubicle, thankful that she'd worn her favorite skirt and blouse combo so she'd look halfway decent for dinner.

She washed up and fixed her hair in the mirror, and applied the lip gloss. She looked alright, she figured, for eating food and assisting her boss in Tinder, anyway.

Bucky went back upstairs and booked their ride, sending Steve a text to tell him it was on its way.

Steve seemed in a good mood when they headed downstairs to get their cab. Bucky locked up the office and set the alarm, as the other guys had already left for the night.

The ride over in the cab caught some traffic, but they chatted about work so nothing felt unusual or awkward. Eventually they got to the hotel, and it looked a lot nicer than the photos had suggested.

Inside they spotted the bar first, and went in there. It had a few patrons already but was reasonably quiet, with low lighting and soft music playing.

The host led them to a table in a very nice spot, taking their coats for them as they sat down.

"You're not going to ban me from drinking, are you?" Steve asked, opening up his menu.

Bucky smiled. "It's officially the weekend."

"Great. Then I'll have a bourbon," he said. "Don't worry, I'll eat too. What are you having?"

"Will you tease me if I get a martini?" Bucky asked.

He laughed amiably. "Get whatever you want. Shaken, not stirred, right?"

"Ha, ha," Bucky replied. "Vodka martini, no olives."

"I know," Steve said, signalling a waiter. "You hate olives."

"They don't belong in drinks," Bucky insisted. "Anyway I'm not taking criticism from you, pineapple on pizza lover."

They laughed until the waiter arrived, and Steve put in their order like he normally did.

Bucky liked it when he ordered for them. Sometimes people assumed she was Steve's date, and she'd always secretly liked that too.

Their drinks came first, along with some appetisers to nibble. Steve raised his glass to Bucky in a toast. "Cheers," he said, smiling happily at her.

Bucky grinned back, like a fool, but she loved it when Steve smiled at her. "Cheers," she said, touching her glass to his before drinking.

They chatted about work for a bit, sipping their drinks. It was nice, Bucky thought, having dinner with Steve. She would make the most of their time together before she went home tonight. She had three roommates, and knew they'd probably be getting ready to go out so she wasn't in a rush to get home.

Steve didn't seem in a rush either, and suggested they have another round of drinks before ordering mains. They shared another toast, with Bucky laughing and asking why they were toasting.

"I don't know." Steve chuckled. "Because it's fun?"

"Well, cheers," Bucky said, taking a drink.

Steve was quiet a moment before asking, "So you are on Tinder, are you?"

Bucky groaned inwardly, but plastered on a smile. "Yeah, but I haven't checked the app in a while."

"Too many eggplants?" Steve said, deadpan.

Bucky burst out laughing. "You joke, but it gets tiresome after a while. You just want some conversation first."

"Before the eggplant?" Steve said, sipping his drink.

Bucky put her hand over her face to laugh. "Oh, my God. No, I don't want any eggplants in a first conversation. Anyway, most guys won't even commit to a conversation let alone agree to meet up, so it all seems incredibly pointless."

"Really?" Steve seemed perplexed by that. "That seems crazy to me."

"Have you met men, Steve?" Bucky countered. "In fact, you should ask Clint about Tinder. He can probably give you better tips than me."

Steve made a face. "I don't want dating advice from Clint."

Bucky laughed. "No, I wouldn't either."

"So are you dating anyone?" Steve asked. "I thought you were seeing that guy? The personal trainer?"

"Steve, that was like... six months ago," Bucky said. "And, no, we only went on a couple dates."

"Oh," Steve said. "I'm sorry. I mean I just assumed..."

Bucky looked at him. "Assumed...?"

"I assumed someone had snapped you up," Steve said with a grin. "I know I would if I had the chance."

Bucky almost dropped her glass, but managed to hold onto it before it slipped from her grasp. She hoped Steve didn't notice. "You said that to me at the Christmas party last year," she said, remembering it just now. She'd put it down to Steve being a bit drunk, festive cheer, and nothing more.

"I was married then," Steve said calmly. "I'm not married now."

"True," Bucky said, then upended her glass to finish her drink. "I'm gonna need another?" she asked weakly.

Steve immediately raised his hand to signal the waiter and order her another martini.

"Sorry," he said when they were alone again. "I didn't mean to over step the line."

"I don't want to lose my job," Bucky said, her heart hammering.

"What? You're not losing your job," Steve said. "To be honest, Bucky, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Bucky almost whimpered at the praise (she loved praise) but she managed to tamp it down.

The waiter materialised at their table with Bucky's martini.

"Thank you," she said, throat dry. She took a long sip as the waiter left again, and Steve gazed at her from across the table.

"Did I make things weird?" he asked.

Bucky shook her head.

"Are you sure?" He tilted his head as he looked at her. "You seem pale. You're not about to throw up, are you?"

"I'm fine," Bucky insisted, and groped for her purse. She found her phone and sent a quick text.

Steve's phone vibrated, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you just text me?"

Bucky nodded, and went back to silently sipping her drink. Steve got out his phone and opened the message. If he was reading the text from Bucky, he'd be seeing several eggplant emojis on his screen. Bucky's breath caught as he looked up at her.

"Um, does this mean what I think it means?" he asked.

Bucky nodded vigorously. Words may have been beyond her but she knew what she wanted.

Steve broke into a smile, then raised his hand again to signal the waiter. "Cheque, please!"

The hotel room was nice, Bucky noted as they entered.

Cosy, elegant, with a big double bed and lots of pillows. Steve placed the do not disturb sign on the door before he shut it, tossing his coat and bag to the floor.

Bucky did the same, barely able to breathe as she watched Steve shrug out of his jacket and slip his tie off.

This couldn't be happening, she thought, as Steve crossed the floor and took her up in his arms, kissing her senseless. If this was a dream, Bucky never wanted to wake up. She kissed him back with all the passion she'd been harbouring for years, gripping onto his shoulder with one hand and cradling his face in the other to stroke his beard.

Steve pulled her against him, grinding his hips into her and Bucky gasped as she felt his erection bump against her. Steve broke the kiss, gasping too.

"Is this too fast?" he asked, his blue eyes searching hers. "We can slow down, or..."

Bucky swiftly unbuttoned her blouse, exposing her bra, and tossed the blouse aside.

"Okay," Steve said, and hurried to do the same, unbuttoning his shirt.

Bucky went to help him, undoing the buttons from the bottom, and then working on Steve's belt.

Steve got his shirt open as Bucky was unbuttoning his fly, pants dropping down to show tight blue briefs with a huge erection trapped inside. Bucky let out a noise of want, placing her hand over Steve's dick.

No wonder he had such swagger, she thought, feeling his hardness; Steve was huge.

Steve hummed in appreciation, shrugging his shirt off. Bucky looked up to see smooth skin and sculpted biceps, full pecs and washboard abs.

"Jesus," she murmured in awe. "You're ripped, Steve."

"I like to work out," he said, hands working around Bucky's waist as he fiddled with her skirt. "How does this come off... wait, I got it."

He unzipped her skirt and pushed it down, the material dropping quickly to the floor. Now they were both in just their underwear, and Bucky her high heels. It was the most surreal and arousing experience she'd ever had.

"Come here," Steve said softly, turning Bucky around and moving her backward to the bed. Bucky found herself laid down as Steve got in on top of her, moving his hips to gently grind his erection against her panties. Bucky groaned and opened her legs, wanting more friction. She reached for Steve's shoulders and pulled him down to kiss, making out with him as he rubbed his dick against her.

"Oh, God, Steve," Bucky gasped between kisses. "I want you so much."

"I want you, too," he panted in reply. "You've no idea how long I've wanted to do this."

"Mmm," Bucky hummed, then opened her eyes. "Wait, what?" she gasped, pushing him away slightly. "How long?"

"Like, a long time," Steve replied, balancing over her. "Like, at least two years. You drive me crazy every day."

"Me?" Bucky grinned. "Don't tease."

"I'm serious." Steve bent his head to press a kiss to Bucky's neck. "Let me show you how much I want you."

The hairs on Steve's beard tickled her skin as he kissed his way down her neck and onto her chest, his deft fingers undoing her bra and freeing her boobs. Steve sucked and tongued at her nipples one at a time, cupping her boobs in his hand and squeezing gently.

Bucky bit back a moan as Steve continued kissing his way down her body, beard tickling over her belly and abdomen. His fingers hooked around her panties and tugged them off, working them down her legs. Steve left her high heels on as he positioned himself between Bucky's legs, kissing up the inside of her thighs. Bucky let out a whimper when Steve fastened his mouth onto her pussy and began to lick, slowly at first in big long swipes, then gaining speed. His tongue twirled and lapped at her pussy, driving her crazy with beard burn as he worked her over.

Bucky was dripping, so turned on and aching to come. Steve moved up to suck on her clit, tongue flicking over it as he speared her with one finger, then two. Bucky pushed her hips down on his fingers, craving more, feeling so empty and desperate to be filled up.

"Please," she begged, and he continued licking her. His fingers inside her found her sensitive spot, and combined with his expert tongue Bucky soon found herself on the edge of orgasm, gasping and tensing up.

"Oh, Steve," she gasped, almost sobbing as her orgasm rushed through her. She cried out and shook with pleasure, riding the waves rolling over her and panting to get her breath back.

One of her heels caught in the bed sheet and she heard it rip. "Oh, shit," she giggled, as Steve stopped licking her.

"Bucky, I want to fuck you," he said, his fingers still inside her like he didn't want to let go.

"Please," she said, desperate to feel him. "I want you."

Steve withdrew his fingers, and made to remove his underwear. Bucky shifted on the bed, kicking her shoes off before she destroyed the sheets again. She watched as Steve freed his erection, his fat cock jutting out proudly from his body.

"Oh, shit," she whispered, seeing how huge it was. "Go slow, okay?"

"Of course," he said, climbing back in on top of her. Bucky let him in, hitching her legs up as Steve's slim waist slotted easily between them. He helped push her legs higher, looking down as he positioned the head of his cock at her entrance.

Bucky absently gazed at his ripped chest and abs for a moment before she felt the breach of penetration, then all she could do was gasp and suck in air to breathe as Steve stretched her out slowly.

"Ah," she cried as he inched inside her, his glorious hardness filling her up. "Oh, my God! Oh, God, Steve!"

"You okay?" he panted, checking in on her.

"Yes," she breathed. "Keep going."

Steve pushed inside her until he was fully seated, and Bucky felt his hard balls press up against her skin.

"Ah, you're so big," she gasped, clinging onto him. Steve balanced over her on his hands but Bucky tugged him closer for a kiss. She was already addicted to the feel of his beard against her mouth, and they kissed lazily as Steve let her get used to being filled up.

When Bucky started shifting impatiently, Steve began to move, slowly at first as he pulled back and the drag of his cock brushed over Bucky's G-spot. She groaned, and when he pushed back in she groaned even louder.

"Yes, give it to me," she murmured, as Steve pulled back again and pushed inside. "Fuck, yes."

Bucky was so wet now, every slide in and out was sheer heaven, and Steve began moving faster, started to slam inside her with greater force. Bucky shouted with delight, overjoyed to be fucked by someone who knew how to do it right, and she let him take the lead.

As Steve pounded into her in deep, steady strokes, Bucky felt herself approaching orgasm again and begged him, "Harder, please! I'm so close!"

Steve fucked her harder, faster, and Bucky cried out as she came again, her pussy clenching around Steve's dick. He fucked her through it, face twisting up as his rhythm stuttered and he started to come too.

"Bucky," he gasped, slamming into her one last time. "God, yes..."

Spent, they collapsed together side by side, gasping for breath.

Bucky looked at Steve, feeling shy now, but when she saw him grin at her she felt reassured.

She was definitely blushing though.

"We didn't use a condom," Steve panted, like this had just occurred to him.

"Mm," Bucky agreed, still breathless. "I'm clean, and I'm on birth control."

"Oh," Steve exhaled, sounding relieved. "I'm clean too. This is actually my first time in... eight months? I had a test since then."

"You haven't had sex in eight months?" Bucky couldn't believe it.

"Well, we weren't really on speaking terms." Steve shifted to rest his head on the pillows.

"You didn't want to go out and... hook up with someone?" Bucky asked, curious.

"I'd rather make love to someone I care about," Steve said, all calm and matter of fact. There was a softness to his voice that Bucky noticed, and she realised he was being incredibly open with her right now.

It was a lot to take in, and Bucky blinked up at the ceiling in surprise.

"Oh," she said.

"You're not gonna leave, are you?" Steve asked.

"This bed?" Bucky had to chuckle. "I don't think I can walk right now."

"I meant your job," Steve laughed too, "but I'm glad you aren't leaving the bed."

"Oh," Bucky said again. "Um, no? Should I?"

"No, don't leave," Steve pleaded, shifting on his side to look at her. "I love working with you. I don't think I'd enjoy my job half as much if you weren't there with me."

Bucky smiled. She felt the same way about work, about being close to Steve. But now they'd slept together, did that change things?

"So... we keep working together and... add sex to the list of things we do?" Bucky guessed.

"Well, sure," Steve said easily, "but I would like to date you, Bucky."

"Really?" she squeaked, totally surprised. She wasn't just a hook up?

"Is dating something you do?" Steve asked, quite serious about it.

Bucky tried not to grin. "I'm open to negotiations."

"Negotiations?" Steve repeated. "I've been out of the dating game a long time, Buck, you're going to have to spell it out for me."

"Okay," she said, unable to stop from smiling now. "You may start to woo me as of now, Mr. Rogers, and I shall accept your romantic gestures and advances."

"Oh, I see." Steve chuckled. "I accept your terms, Miss Barnes. May I take you out on a date tomorrow?"

"Yes, that is acceptable," Bucky replied. "Please don't stop the sex in the interim, however."

Steve laughed at that. "I'm happy to meet your terms, Miss Barnes. Shall we order room service before we commence round two?"

"Yes, please."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Yes, it's my birthday, this was what i wrote for it! lol
> 
> I am on [tumblr](http://jro616.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/jro616), come say hi!


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